


Administrative Changes

by whambat



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-18 16:45:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18253865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whambat/pseuds/whambat
Summary: Was it a sin simply to want recognition, to want to be more important than you are?As he finishes a job, Akechi finds the Phantom Thieves on their own mission in Mementos.





	Administrative Changes

It was a sleepy night in Mementos, and Goro Akechi had passed through its labyrinthine passages unnoticed and unperturbed by the drowsy shadows that occupied the tunnels. Tonight's job had been an easy one, barely worth his time, but now any incriminating testimony that Shido's fellow cabinet member might have against him would be dismissed amid the psychotic ravings of a man no longer fit to be a public servant. It was going to be a long walk out of the depths now, and Akechi found himself wishing his target had his own palace, if only to shave a few hours off of the trip. Regrettably, the politician had very little in the way of cognitive distortions, at least until a moment ago.

 

As he ascended the floors, Akechi stopped in his tracks, his attention snapped suddenly to the sound of an engine and… _meowing?_

 

He slipped around a corner and studied the strange car carefully as it approached. If this was how the Phantom Thieves were navigating Mementos, the discovery was both mystifying and disappointing. He'd assumed that the thieves had been splitting up to tackle as many targets as they had, but if they needed the entire team for the measly shadows here, he'd been greatly overestimating their strength. And why did _they_ get a car when Akechi was stuck with aching legs for days after his Mementos missions? It wasn't _fair._ He shook the foolish thoughts of jealousy from his mind as the car drew closer. All this proved was his own superiority of strength, both in his persona and his thighs.

 

The car pulled to a stop outside a smaller chamber, and a large group emerged clad in gaudy costumes and masks. _Tasteless, all of them._ As the last of them disembarked, long coat tails fluttering behind him, Akechi noted with annoyance the slim flattering cut of the leader’s ensemble. _Most of them, then._

 

His eye was quickly drawn away from fashion to the puff of smoke where the car once stood, and in its place he saw a… cat thing? He was _definitely_ going to ask some questions about that when he could, when the plan necessitated their cooperation. The cat creature stretched and looked around, necessitating Akechi's retreat back behind his corner and out of potential view. Most of the group was too quiet to make out, but one voice rang through the tunnels loud and clear.

 

“Are we sure we gotta do this? I mean, all Mishima's done is help us out. It doesn't feel right.”

 

Mishima. The volleyball team member whose name Akechi had found alongside two of the Thieves slated for expulsion prior to the Kamoshida incident. Akechi has suspected his involvement, but having confirmation of his deductions was nice. The rest of the team conferred quietly in tones that sounded like regret and hesitation, but ultimately resolve.

 

“Ugh, I guess," The loud one groaned. "I still don't like this though. Let's get it over with, yeah?”

 

So the noble Phantom Thieves were about to assault the psyche of one of their closest allies? The betrayal seemed uncharacteristic. So much for justice.

 

The team's footsteps faded as they entered the chamber ahead, and Akechi crept closer a few moments after, his more subtle ensemble blending with the gloom and obscuring him from view at the entrance. What he saw was a scene similar to the job he'd just completed. A small room and a humanoid shadow with a paranoid and defensive look in those glowing eyes.

 

“Hahahaha! So you wanna change my heart, even after everything I've done for you guys!?”

 

The laugh had a desperate edge to it, and as Mishima's shadow continued talking, Akechi saw the reason for the thieves’ visit: a nobody, pretending to importance and clinging to the coattails of fame. It seemed pathetic, pitiable, but… was that really worth a change of heart? Their other targets were criminals, abusers, and manipulators. What crime had their PR manager committed that would put him on the same level? Was it a sin simply to want recognition, to want to be more important than you are? Akechi couldn't know, he supposed. Unlike Mishima, Akechi _was_ important, _was_ recognized. Akechi was _special._ There must be limits, then, to how much he could empathize with one of the masses. Still, it felt somehow cruel to hold Mishima's dissatisfaction against him.

 

“Yo, losers. Get out of here. I wanna talk to your leader… alone.”

 

The rest of the Thieves filed out and Akechi was forced to retreat further into the shadows. The team waited anxiously outside the chamber, too concerned to say much. The loudmouth in the skull mask had his ear pressed close to the entry the same way Akechi had moments ago.

 

“They're just talkin’. I told you guys we didn't need to do this.” He listened another minute or so before announcing to the group, “It sounds like they're wrapping up. I'm gonna go get Joker.”

 

“Be careful, Skull,” A familiar voice warned. 

 

“I told ya it's fine!” Skull snapped, clearly annoyed. “I'm going!”

 

Skull emerged again with their leader a moment later, and for once, his tone was subtle and too low for Akechi to hear. His arm wrapped loosely around Joker's shoulder as he spoke, and Joker simply nodded in response, a relieved smile on his face. The two of them hopped into the front seat of the cat—  _car,_ rather— and the remaining Thieves piled in the back before they drove away.

 

And there Akechi was, the Phantom Thieves’ public image merely feet away, at his mercy if he so desired. The Phansite had all but done its job; the votes for the next target were stacked high in Okumura’s favor and the public was already out for blood. It would be so _easy,_ another psychotic breakdown, another perfect pearl in the string of evidence against the Thieves’ supposed justice. Akechi thought about that power, about how easily he could destroy this boy's life in the service of his plan. It certainly wouldn't be a first, but… No. He wasn't worth Akechi's time.

 

* * *

 

 

So why was Akechi still thinking about him days after he'd stayed his hand in Mementos? His normal investigative check-ins on the Phansite had turned obsessive. Despite frantic searching, Akechi saw no indication of a change of heart, no sweeping public apology, no promise to change his ways. What he did notice was the Admin quietly deleting a few of his old posts, the ones threatening that dissenting voices might expect their own calling cards.

 

After a few days time, the site’s homepage was updated with a small announcement.

 

 

> Administrative Changes
> 
>  
> 
> Due to the nature of my work on this site, maintaining my anonymity is incredibly important. As such, I'll be taking a step back in my interactions with the Phandom. I'll still be moderating forums and keeping you all updated as needed, but I won't be responding to individual posts unless the need is urgent. I started this site to support the Phantom Thieves as they fight for justice, and I think it's best to let their actions speak for themselves.

Akechi thought on this. It wasn't an apology, or even an acknowledgment of any perceived mistake. Decidedly not a textbook change of heart. It was a deflection, and a calculated one at that, but these words were still a far cry from the desperate, attention-craving Mishima he'd seen in Mementos. Interesting.

 

The comments that came in were a mixed bag.

 

> >take care of yourself!
> 
> >who is admin???
> 
> >Good riddance lol
> 
> >Too busy for us now?
> 
> >aww we'll miss u <3

 

Akechi's hands hovered over his keyboard and he drafted several comments of his own.

> >This is a smart decision. It's unwise to reveal too much of yourself to the public. Police watching and such.

Delete.

> >What about you? Don't you still deserve credit for the work you're doing?

Delete. Where did that come from?

> >It must be hard putting in so much work for no recognition. Whoever you are, I'm sure people out there do appreciate you, even if they don't know it's you. You may be unknown, but your contribution is still significant.

 

Akechi’s finger hesitated over the send button for what felt like ages. Finally, he sighed and held the backspace key as he watched his comment reel back into nothing. What was he _doing?_ Shido's IT people already had their grip on the site's data to manipulate it as they needed. There was no reason for Akechi to comment whatsoever. He slumped in his seat and laughed at himself before typing up two small words and hitting send.

 

* * *

 

Yuuki Mishima was feeling antsy. After a lot of introspection he'd deleted his old warnings and sent private apologies to the few users who had commented without anonymity. He still didn't agree with them, but he had to acknowledge when he'd violated his own terms of service. Threatening other forum users was not to be tolerated. He'd gone silent after that, refusing to respond further to any one-on-one correspondence in favor of announcing his reduced involvement on the forums. Mishima felt like he was making the right decision but his self imposed radio silence was still torturous. His announcement had been met with varied results, and it was taking all he had not to respond to the more genuine and concerned comments. Mishima decided he would refresh the page one more time before he forced himself to go to bed. With a tired but contented sigh, he smiled at the most recent comment. Two little words.

 

> _ >thx admin _

**Author's Note:**

> In this house we love and appreciate Yuuki Mishima. This is non-negotiable.
> 
> This fits in the game's chronology shortly before Morgana's falling out with the group. Haru's not around quite yet, but things are building towards Okumura's Palace.


End file.
